National —
On August 4th, 2024, Thai national media provided an update on the badminton, boxing, and athletic matches at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
View Kunlavut Vitidsarn stunned the badminton world by defeating the top seed, China’s Shi Yuqi, ranked 1st in the world, with a decisive 2-0 victory (21-12, 21-10), advancing to the semi-finals. As the world’s 8th-ranked player, View will face Malaysia’s 7th-ranked Lee Zii Jia, who recently bested the world’s No. 2 from Denmark with a 2-0 win (21-17, 21-15).
The Olympic badminton semi-finals will be broadcast live on CH7 on Sunday, August 4th, starting at 1:25 PM. The winner is guaranteed at least a bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Thai badminton star May Ratchanok Intanon, ranked 21st in the world, was defeated by Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, ranked 9th, with scores of 23-25 and 9-21, exiting in the quarter-finals.
May acknowledged her opponent’s strong performance and admitted struggling under pressure, which affected her play. “Her reactions were excellent today, making it difficult for me to secure a win. I haven’t faced such tight games this year, and top players like her can capitalize on critical moments,” May explained. She further reflected, “I overthought my moves, which slowed me down. Ultimately, I feel like I lost to my own thoughts.”
When asked if this would be her last Olympics, Ratchanok replied, “I’ll assess my physical condition year by year. I genuinely want to come back and compete again. I’m ready for the Asian Games, but I think it’s enough for the SEA Games.”
She also mentioned her aspirations, stating, “Reaching the quarter-finals three times is a significant achievement, but my closest shot was in London. This time, my opponent was truly better, and I accept that. I didn’t have high hopes for a medal this time, just aimed to give my best.”
In women’s boxing, Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng guaranteed a bronze medal by defeating two-time world champion Busenaz Sürmeneli of Turkey. Despite the pressure of being the last Thai boxer standing after Chuthamat Raksat’s earlier loss, Janjaem executed her strategy well, adjusting her tactics as needed to secure the win. Looking ahead, she is preparing for her next bout against Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who has faced controversies and worldwide headlines regarding gender testing.
Janjaem spoke candidly about her next opponent, acknowledging Khelif’s strength but expressing confidence in her own preparation and determination. “I’ve watched her and know about the hormone issues. She has fought many women before, but it’s unclear if she’s stronger now due to higher male hormone levels.
But I’m not afraid. We’ve trained hard, and I’ll fight with everything I have,” Janjaem stated. She remains focused on her goal of reaching the gold medal match, stating that she will fight to the end.
Janjaem is guaranteed of a bronze medal even if she loses, due to the rules around boxing in the Olympics. This would be Thailand’s first of this Olympics if this happened.
In athletics, Puripol Boonson, an 18-year-old Thai sprinter, who recently won a silver medal in the 100 meters at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, competed in the 100-meter heats at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Despite a shaky start, Puripol finished third in his heat with a time of 10.13 seconds, securing a spot in the semi-finals. The semi-finals are scheduled for August 5th at 1:05 AM, with the finals following at 2:50 AM.
